Lent is a period of 40 days before Easter intended for penance, prayer and preparation for the celebration of Easter. Many mark Lent by committing themselves to sacrificing a certain pleasure for 40 days. Rather than giving up something superficial, like soda or snacks, perhaps it's time to return to the spiritual meaning of Lent and make a sacrifice that means something. We urge students to make a small sacrifice of time and commit to giving back to the Milwaukee community.

The Rev. Greg Friedman, a contributor to TheAmericanCatholic.org, an aggregate of Catholic writings and teachings, urges Catholics to couple Lenten observances with "recalling our Baptism [and] deepening our commitment to Christ." To give up candy for Lent only to pig-out on Easter morning is a misinterpretation of the spiritual intentions of Lent, writes the Rev. Lawrence E. Mick on The American Catholic.

"Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over to Christ and his way of life," Mick writes. "The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration of Lent but to root sin out of our lives forever."

So rather than struggle to forgo the usual stand-bys, we encourage students to make a commitment this Lenten season to lend a hand to others. Let's give up a little of our precious time to make our community a better place. Opportunities for service at Marquette abound, and the Center for Community Service is available to help students find opportunities that fit their interests.

For those interested in volunteering during Lenten season, there are a few upcoming events we would like to highlight:

Sample the Soups

Hunger Clean-Up organizers are raising money for the spring service project (see below) by offering a soup sampling on Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union.

St. Baldrick's Day

St. Baldrick's Day, an organization that raises funds for children's cancer research, is holding an event March 14 at Buckhead Saloon in downtown Milwaukee. Participants register in teams or as individuals and collect donations to shave their heads.

Hunger Clean-Up

Marquette's most popular service project, Hunger Clean-Up, will celebrate its 20th anniversary the day after Easter. If you want to get technical, the service day falls just outside of Lent, but what better way to spend Lent than organizing and registering a Hunger Clean-Up team?

Looking for an opportunity to serve elsewhere? The online resource, www.usaservice.org, a Web site set up by the Obama administration that lists, by ZIP code, service projects in need of volunteers.

Lent is a good time to atone for sins and break any bad habits we have acquired over the year. Rather than give up something meaningless, let's make a commitment to give a little of our time to others and help improve the world in which we live.